Chapter 8

Daniel's heart pounded in his chest as he crawled silently behind David, who was leading the way through the dark and treacherous environment infested with zombies. He needed to voice his growing anxiety and asked, "Where are we going?" His voice was barely more than a whisper.

"Shhh, be quiet or you'll attract them over here," David cautioned, placing one finger across his mouth as he gestured for Daniel to remain silent.

David paused, pointing toward a broken wall that had a hole large enough to see inside a nearby building. "Look over there," he whispered.

Daniel inched closer to the wall, his heart racing. With one eye, he cautiously peered through the hole and was met with a horrific sight. Dead bodies were gathered in a gruesome tableau. Close to four undead creatures were placed at each corner of the room, and among them, to Daniel's shock, he saw Helen. Tears flowed down her lifeless eyes, and her gaze seemed to hold the memory of unspeakable horrors.

Relief surged through Daniel as he realized Helen was still alive among the dead. However, his hope quickly turned to dread as David suggested, "I remember seeing her close to you. She seems important to you, right? Let's go save her."

Daniel hesitated, his fear of the four zombies guarding Helen looming large. "But there are four zombies in the room. Do you have any ideas on how we can save her?" he questioned.

With determination in his eyes, Daniel declared, "I will save her."

David was taken aback, his expression one of surprise and concern. "What? Wait, how are you going to save her?" he inquired.

"The zombies react to sounds, so I'll have to be careful not to make any noise," Daniel explained. He swiftly removed his shoes and coat, leaving only his shirt on. His face was determined, his resolve unwavering.

Silently and carefully, Daniel opened the door to the room, making sure not to make a sound. He glanced left and right, but the zombies remained motionless. It was evident that opening the door had not drawn their attention.

Daniel began to crawl into the room, passing by the first zombie. However, as he neared the next one, it turned its decaying head toward him. Fear clenched Daniel's heart, and he held his breath, hoping the zombie wouldn't notice him. After a tense moment, the zombie turned back toward its original path, and Daniel let out a breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding.

With cautious determination, Daniel moved forward, inching closer to Helen. Their eyes met, and it appeared as though Helen was trying to speak, but her words were inaudible over the muted sounds of the room.

Daniel whispered, "Helen, I'm here to rescue you. Stay still while I pull you from those bodies."

He began to gently tug Helen out from the macabre pile of corpses covering her. But Helen's next words sent a shiver down his spine. "Run, Daniel. This is a trap. Run!"

Panic welled up inside him as he stammered, "What do you mean, Helen?"

A noise from the door caught their attention. A disfigured, mutilated zombie emerged, its head grotesquely misshapen. It began extending its long, snake-like tongue, as if it possessed the ability to sense body heat like a reptile.

Suddenly, the abomination turned toward Daniel, its empty eyes locking onto him. A terrifying realization struck him; this zombie was unlike any he had encountered before. It might not rely solely on sound to detect its prey.

Desperation and fear surged within Daniel as he cried out, "Help, Director, please come and help me!"

However, the sight that met his eyes was unimaginable. The director held a coil of climbing rope, hastily attaching one end to his waist and the other to the edge of the elevator, securing his means of escape. With a smug grin, the director leaped to safety, leaving Daniel to face the impending danger alone.

Realization dawned on Daniel that the director had purposely led him to Helen, knowing he would attempt a rescue and thus serve as bait for the director's escape. Overcome with anger, he momentarily thought of revenge but pushed it aside. Survival was his immediate concern.

Surveying his surroundings, Daniel saw no clear means of escape. He shouted angrily, "If I catch you, David, I will kill you. Mark my words."

Just as despair began to engulf him, a bullet whizzed past the window, and a WP bomb crashed into the room. The explosion was deafening, and a brilliant flash of white phosphorus ignited the entire space. The zombies writhed and screamed in agony as they were consumed by the relentless flames.

The room was filled with the acrid stench of burning decay, and the zombies' futile attempts to escape the inferno only intensified their suffering. Amidst the chaos, Daniel realized that, against all odds, he might have a chance at survival.

Amidst the chaos of the white phosphorus explosion, Daniel found himself dazed and disoriented. The room was ablaze, and the acrid smoke made it difficult to breathe. The zombies, once his relentless pursuers, were now consumed by the merciless fire, their wails fading into the crackling flames.

Coughing and gasping for air, Daniel managed to pull himself to his feet. The searing heat was unbearable, and the room had become a nightmarish inferno. His immediate instinct was to locate Helen, and through the thick smoke and blinding flames, he spotted her huddled in a corner.

Summoning every ounce of strength and resolve, he rushed toward her, coughing and shielding his face from the intense heat. Helen's eyes widened in shock as Daniel reached out, pulling her up and guiding her through the wall of fire to what remained of the room's entrance.

Another wp bomb was shot into the room seeing this ,Daniel knew he had no time to waste before this whole floor would be engulfed with flames ,he looked towards the elevator ,he ran towards the elevator and held the rope that David had just used to escape.